...-==†§£@                                          @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@#                                          #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@##                                          ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@#                                          #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@                                          @£§†==-...
....-==†§£                WINDS ESKER               £§†==-....
.....-==†§ ======================================== §†==-.....
......-==†                                          †==-......
.......-== THERE WAS  THIS PLACE THAT FOR TWO YEARS ==-.......
........-= I  COULDN'T  GO  TO. REGARDLESS HOW MUCH =-........
.......-== DISCUSSED  WITH OTHERS,  OR  POINTED OUT ==-.......
......-==† ON  MAPS,  I COULD NOT  THINK OF IT WHEN †==-......
.....-==†§ ALONE.  I WOULD  OFTEN TRAVEL  PAST  THE §†==-.....
....-==†§£ FORK,  WHERE  A RIGHT  TURN WOULD SURELY £§†==-....
...-==†§£@ TAKE  ME THERE, BUT EVEN THEN, SOMETHING @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@#              KEPT ME AWAY.               #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@##                                          ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@# WHEN I  FINALLY GOT  THERE,  AFTER  SOME #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@     HEAVY SUBCONSCIOUS BATTLE I MUST     @£§†==-...
....-==†§£ ASSUME,   THE  PLACE   WAS  SURREAL.  AN £§†==-....
.....-==†§ ESKER, LIKE  A  NEEDLE-THIN RIFT  OUT IN §†==-.....
......-==† THE  LAKE,  BUT  TEN  METERS  HIGH   AND †==-......
.......-== ADORNED IN BIRCH,  WILLOW,  BRACKEN, AND ==-.......
........-=               BLUEBERRIES.               =-........
.......-==                                          ==-.......
......-==† WALKING  ATOP  THAT  SPINE,  I  CAME  TO †==-......
.....-==†§ NOTICE THE  VIEW  TO EITHER SIDE.  THERE §†==-.....
....-==†§£ SHOULD  BE  SHORES,  OF  COURSE,  BUT  I £§†==-....
...-==†§£@ DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THEM.  FIRST OFF,  THEY @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@# WERE MUCH TOO CLOSE, AS THE LAKE  SHOULD #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@## STRETCH  FOR A  HUNDRED  METERS MORE  ON ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@# BOTH  SIDES.  BUT  NOW  I  FELT  I COULD #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@ ALMOST  REACH OUT  AND  TOUCH THEM.  AND @£§†==-...
....-==†§£ THEN, WHEN I REALIZED  WHICH SHORES THEY £§†==-....
.....-==†§           WERE, I HAD TO STOP.           §†==-.....
......-==†                                          †==-......
.......-== THEY WERE OF  THE  RIGHT  LAKE. BUT THIS ==-.......
........-=       LAKE IS LARGE, FRACTURED, AND      =-........
.......-== BIPARTITE. LIKE A PAIR  OF  LUNGS CARVED ==-.......
......-==† INTO THE GRANITE,  AND WITH NO LESS THAN †==-......
.....-==†§   FIVE COMMUNITIES ANCHORED AT VARIOUS   §†==-.....
....-==†§£      POINTS. AND SO, STUDYING THESE      £§†==-....
...-==†§£@    IMPOSSIBLY CLOSE SHORES, I SLOWLY     @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@# UNDERSTOOD THEM AS BELONGING  MANY MILES #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@##                  AWAY.                   ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@#                                          #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@ I   EXAMINED  THE  RIDGE,  THE  TREELINE @£§†==-...
....-==†§£ ABOVE.  WAS THIS WHAT  YOU SAW OPPOSITE, £§†==-....
.....-==†§ FROM  THOSE  OTHER  SHORES?  I  COULDN'T §†==-.....
......-==†                 REMEMBER.                †==-......
.......-==                                          ==-.......
........-= CARRYING  FORWARD, ON THE  VERY  TIP  OF =-........
.......-== THE  ESKER,  I FOUND  THE  RUINS OF SOME ==-.......
......-==†    OLD BUILDING. THERE WERE OVERGROWN    †==-......
.....-==†§ MARBLE STAIRCASES, STONE FLOORS BENEATH  §†==-.....
....-==†§£ THE MOSS,  AND  STRANGE  SLABS  INSERTED £§†==-....
...-==†§£@ INTO  THE  SLOPE  LIKE DAMS AGAINST  THE @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@#              GROUND ITSELF.              #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@##                                          ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@# SITTING  THERE,  I  COULD SEE ACROSS THE #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@ NARROWED  LAKE MY ENTIRE PATH TO WHERE I @£§†==-...
....-==†§£ SAT:  FROM  THE STAIRWELL OF  MY  HOUSE, £§†==-....
.....-==†§ THROUGH THE  OLD  WOODS BEHIND THE  TILE §†==-.....
......-==†      FACTORY, THE BRIDGE OVER ROUTE      †==-......
.......-== TWENTY THREE  AND  THEN  BACK UNDER  IT, ==-.......
........-= THROUGH  THE  FANCY   VILLAS,  OVER  THE =-........
.......-== FIELDS, AND THEN THAT RIGHT TURN  AT THE ==-.......
......-==†                   FORK.                  †==-......
.....-==†§                                          §†==-.....
....-==†§£ AND  THEN  THE  STAIRS UP  ON THE RIDGE. £§†==-....
...-==†§£@ THINKING BACK,  THIS  WAS  PROBABLY  IT. @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@# HIDDEN  IN A  GROVE,  THERE WERE  STAIRS #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@## MUCH LIKE THE ONES I  CURRENTLY  SAT ON, ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@# OLD AND  WORN  DOWN,  THAT LEAD  YOU  UP #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@ ONTO  THE ESKER. THE POINT OF ENTRY. HAD @£§†==-...
....-==†§£ I INSTED OPTED TO WALK THE  PATH  AT ITS £§†==-....
.....-==†§ FOOT,  I'M SURE MY  EXPERIENCE  WOULD'VE §†==-.....
......-==†          BEEN DIFFERENT INDEED.          †==-......
.......-==                                          ==-.......
........-= ======================================== =-........
.......-==                                          ==-.......
......-==† ON   THE  LAKE,  THERE  WERE  PEOPLE  IN †==-......
.....-==†§ BOATS.  I WONDERED, COULD THEY  EVEN SEE §†==-.....
....-==†§£ ME?  IF  I SHOUTED, WOULD  THEY  TURN TO £§†==-....
...-==†§£@          STARE RIGHT THROUGH ME?         @£§†==-...
..-==†§£@#                                          #@£§†==-..
.-==†§£@##                                          ##@£§†==-.
..-==†§£@#                                          #@£§†==-..
...-==†§£@                                          @£§†==-...
....-==†§£                                          £§†==-....